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A FOREIGN AFFAIR by Caro Peacock The year is 1837. Queen Victoria is about to ascend the throne, and a spirited young Englishwoman named Liberty Lane has just received the shock of her life: Her beloved father has died fighting a duel in France. Or was it murder? Liberty vows to find out. But to do so she must outfox secret agents, dodge scheming noblemen, and prove that, with a little pluck, a "modern" woman can handle anything-even espionage. |
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Excerpt from Select Editions' A FOREIGN AFFAIR
The accent was so obviously English that I answered, "Good afternoon, sir." He blinked, came forward, and glanced toward the grave diggers. "Do you happen to know whom they are burying over there?" "Thomas Jacques Lane." I tried to say it calmly, just as a piece of information, but saw a change in his eyes. So I added, "My father." "Do I then have the honor of addressing Miss Liberty Lane?" "You were watching me," I said. "This morning on the sands." He didn't deny it, just asked, "What are you doing here?" "As you see, arranging my father's burial. You knew him, didn't you? It was you who sent me that note." "What note?" He sounded genuinely puzzled. "That lying note, telling me he'd been killed in a duel, ordering me to wait at Dover." "I sent no note. But if you were at Dover, you should never have left there. Go back. I tell you that as your father's friend." All my misery and shock centered on this black stick of a man. "There was only one person in the world who had the right to give orders to me, and he's lying over there. And you, sir, are lying, too-only far less honorably." "How have I lied to you?" "Did you not write me that note? My father would never in his life have fought a duel." He looked at me, frowning as if I were some problem in arithmetic proving more difficult than expected. "There has clearly been some misunderstanding. I wrote you no note." "Who are you? What do you know about my father's death?" He stared at me, still frowning. I was aware of somebody shouting a little way off, but did not give it much attention. "I think it would be best," he said at last, "if you permitted me to escort you back to Dover." "Why don't you answer my questions?" "They will be answered, but I must appeal to you to have patience. In times of danger, patience and steadfastness are the best counsel." |
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The Writing Life of Caro Peacock
"As long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by the Victorian age," says British-born author and former journalist Caro Peacock. "Perhaps it came from having a great uncle who was among the crowds at Queen Victoria's funeral and lived long enough to tell his great-niece about it when she was hardly old enough to read books, let alone write them. It's such a fascinating stretch of time."
A vivacious woman who shares her plucky heroine Liberty Lane's love of horses, Peacock is also an avid gardener, trail hiker, and student of history. When asked about the origins of her exciting debut novel, A Foreign Affair, she replies, "I spent two seasons as a National Trust guide at Croft Castle in North Herefordshire. One of the Croft family ancestors, Sir Richard Croft, had been accoucheur [obstetrician] to Princess Charlotte, the only legitimate child of George IV. The baby boy was stillborn, and the princess died a few hours later. Poor Sir Richard blamed himself-probably wrongly-and shot himself. Afterwards, there were ugly rumors that the princess and baby had been poisoned by enemies at court. Historically, the interesting thing is that if the child had lived, he would have inherited the throne after William IV and there would have been no Victorian age. It is one of history's 'what-ifs.' I added another purely fictional 'what-if': What if somebody pretended the baby had lived, had been spirited away, and then returned to claim his throne twenty years later?" A Foreign Affair is the first in a series of historical mysteries featuring the author's favorite time period and, of course, the resourceful young sleuth with the unusual name. "I chose the name Liberty deliberately," says Peacock, "because I wanted to write about a strong, independent woman. Today we view Victorian women as delicate creatures, ruled by men. But it is just not true. Many women traveled and ran businesses." When she is not writing or gardening, the author has a real passion for travel. "My favorite place is the Alps in June-I just love the flowers and the air, and the footpaths are so good that you can walk twenty miles a day. I am an obsessive walker." She is also enthusiastic about her new career. "Oh, what a wonderful world this is to inhabit," she says with infectious ardor. "I love being a writer, and I am loving having adventures with Liberty Lane!"  |
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